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Hearing rules for Bakken pipeline draw fire

Andrew Burton, Getty Images
WATFORD CITY, ND - JULY 30: Pumpjacks are seen in an aerial view in the early morning hours of July 30, 2013 near Watford City, North Dakota. North Dakota has seen a boom in oil production thanks to new drilling techniques including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 174362712 ORIG FILE ID: 175051434(Photo: Andrew Burton, Getty Images)

The Iowa Utilities Board is allowing early registration for people who want to publicly comment next week on plans for the proposed Bakken pipeline, which would cut diagonally through 18 Iowa counties while transporting crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois.

But the board's rules for conducting the Nov. 12 hearing are already drawing fire from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, an activist group that strongly opposes the pipeline. That's because the board announced Wednesday that speakers at the hearing will be called in alternating order with each pipeline opponent followed by a pipeline supporter.

Nathan Malachowski, a CCI community organizer, said the board's rules will result in a misleading perception of public sentiment for the pipeline project, which he believes faces overwhelming opposition along the 343-mile route in Iowa.

“When you actually look at the number of objections that have been submitted … by Iowans, they greatly outnumber the letters of support from Iowans. Limiting public comment on this controversial issue is undemocratic and frankly shameful," Malachowski said.

Iowa Utilities Board spokesman Don Tormey said the board disagrees with the idea that the rules for the public comment hearing give a misleading impression. "There are two sides to the proposed pipeline project, with those opposed to the Board issuing a permit and those in favor of issuing a permit for the pipeline project, and the speaking opportunities will be split evenly between both sides of the issue," he said.

The hearing will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Community Building at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Boone. Board officials said a large number of speakers are expected, so it is establishing an advance sign-up process. The public hearing will be followed this month by a trial-like evidentiary hearing before the board decides whether to permit the pipeline project to proceed.

Those who want to make public comments should call the board's offices Thursday or Friday at 515-725-7300 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Callers will need to provide their name, address and whether they want to speak for or against the issuance of a state permit for the project. The completed list will be posted on the board's website Monday. If the list of pre-registered speakers is completed before the end of the hearing on Nov. 12, the board will hear from unscheduled speakers until 5 p.m., officials said.